Data communication systems exchange user data with User Equipment (UE) to provide various data communication services. The UE may be a phone, computer, media player, and the like. The data communication services may be Internet access, voice/video calling, messaging applications, evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS), or some other computerized information service.
A popular wireless communication technology is Long Term Evolution (LTE). LTE networks use wireless base stations called evolved Node Bs (eNodeBs) to wirelessly connect UEs to LTE networks. The LTE networks comprise network elements like Mobility Management Entities (MMEs), gateways, routers, and servers. The MME orchestrates session control over the LTE network to deliver multiple data services to the UE. The UE then exchanges user data with the gateways systems over the eNodeB to deliver the data services.
Wireless repeaters extend the range of the eNodeBs in LTE networks. A wireless repeater receives a wireless signal from the eNodeB, amplifies the received signal, and then transmits the amplified version of the received signal to the UE. Likewise, the wireless repeater receives a wireless signal from the UE, amplifies the received signal, and then transmits the amplified version of the signal to the eNodeB. The wireless repeaters are often linked together to form a repeater chain that extends from the LTE eNodeB.
In cost-effective implementations, the wireless repeaters do not perform advanced data service control at the LTE layer. However, these cost-effective repeaters enable very long and efficient repeater chains to extend from the eNodeB. Long repeater chains are actually better suited for some environments and data services than the more complex and expensive eNodeBs.
Unfortunately, the long and cost-effective repeater chains also experience increased latency—largely due to processing delay in the repeaters themselves. Thus, long and cost-effective repeater chains may be ideal for basic services like messaging and internet access, but the latency toward the end of the repeater chains may unduly debilitate some data services. For example, an interactive holographic gaming service may not be adequately deliverable after several wireless repeater hops.